The present invention relates to methods and apparatus for improving recovery of patients from surgery and pertains particularly to a continuous passive motion method and apparatus for application to the limbs of a patient.
Some studies have been conducted in an effort to determine the effect of continuous passive motion on the healing of certain operations and conditions. Some investigations have indicated that continuous passive motion appears to facilitate cartilage healing.
Some devices have been constructed for the purpose of applying continuous motion to the limbs of an individual particularly the legs. Some of these studies have been conducted by the use of a motorized stationary bicycle which applies a motion to the legs of the patient. Such studies have indicated some beneficial results from the motion, however, such studies have also resulted in complaints of pain as a result of the mechanism for applying the motion.
A continuous passive motion device has been developed by one company which supports a leg on an articulated linkage support device and applies a motion to one end of the linkage for applying a continuous motion to the leg. This mechanism, however, has the disadvantages of being difficult to match patient limb segment lengths to the device which reduces its applicability to a continuous use, difficult to achieve an adequate degree of knee flexion and it runs too slowly.
One area of application of continuous passive motion is in the area of knee surgery particularly to total knee surgery where the knee has been completely replaced by a prosthesis. One of the most significant problems with such patients following surgery is that of the need to relieve postoperative pain and to restore motion to the limb.
Another area of application is to patients who have undergone hip surgery. Still other operations and injuries are believed to be potential beneficiaries of continuous passive motion.
The prior art methods and mechanisms to achieve continuous passive motion have not been satisfactory for this purpose.
It is therefore desirable that a method and apparatus be available for the application of a continuous passive motion to the limbs of postoperative surgery patients.